Christmas Nights
by sTaRfIrExrObIn
Summary: For Richard Grayson, the only thing Christmas holds for him are painful memories of losing everything and everyone he loved. But can the Christmas ghosts of the past, present, and future help him realize how much he still loves a certain redhead? RxS
1. Promises

A young handsome man gazed out into the clear view that lay just outside Wayne Enterprises. There came a soft knock on his door.

"What?" he asked irritated.

A nervous clerk peered in through the room, her eyes falling on her boss's chair; it's back turned against her.

"Um, Mr. Grayson?"

He swiveled his chair swiftly. "I_said_ WHAT!"

The poor secretary began to tremble fearfully as she hesitantly inched her way closer to the grim businessman and dropped a dainty piece of paper. She waited, still shaking.

Richard began to scan the note, his eyes never leaving it. "Well," he asked expectantly but nevertheless impatient, "Aren't you going to LEAVE!"

At the sound of his voice she replied back, "I'm sorry, Sir," and with that she scrambled out of the room.

Still sitting down in a slouched position, he sighed to himself and immediately felt a pang of guilt, as usual. He wasn't always like this; heck, being grumpy so many years had made him feel like an old man. He was once filled with pride and triumphant glory in his systems. He always used to be so…happy. But that was when he was Robin.

Sure, being the most adored superhero in Jump City was great, but being Nightwing was never and would never be as great as his experience with the Titans. As if on cue, he walked over to the bookcase and pulled a book down, causing the shelf of treasured volumes to turn, revealing the infamous costumes of Nightwing and former superhero Robin. But he didn't even stop to look at those. Instead he took hold of a photograph with five teens pictured in it.

A half-robot half-man had his arm risen up in a cheering type position, a cyber-cannon replacing one of his arms. He smiled warmly as he recognized Cyborg. On the right side was a green-skinned lean teen in a purple and black uniform with his arm slung around a dismal Goth with gray colored skin in a long purple cloak.

And then he saw her. Everyday he looked at this picture and saw her. He hated her for making his life miserable. She was the one who made him Donald Trump. She was the one who left him watching her run off in tears into the distance, trying to get anywhere away from him. HE HATED HER FOR GOD'S SAKE!

He got control of his anger hastily. The last thing he needed was a trashed office, which did happen one particular time like this. Sighing, he thought to himself, 'who am I kidding? I could never hate her, she's too wonderful.'

Her name was Starfire. The beautiful goddess who haunted his dreams always every night. Her auburn hair would always blow in the wind whenever he saw her, and at times like this he always felt it was his job to tuck every strand of hair that fell in front of her beautiful face. The emerald eyes on her orange tanned face twinkled out of joy, staring back at him. He lo-

"Richard? Richard? Are you there?"

Breathing in deeply, he turned to face the giant-sized screen with a man looking at him.

"What do you want Bruce?" he asked wearily.

"I was just calling to see if you were coming to the party tomorrow. Everyone will be there," the 50 year-old man said with a tint of hope in his voice.

But Richard crossed his arms and turned away to hide his look of disappointment. "I know, But SHE won't be there."

With a sigh, Bruce tried to console him. "Richard, you've gotta get over this…girl."

In sudden rage, Richard faced Bruce. "For your information, I AM over her." He paused slightly, and was about to say something but held it in.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, go to the party tomorrow. I'll be expecting you." The screen flickered slightly and finally turned off.

"…And she's not just some girl."

He picked up his suitcase and opened the door, a poorly hung wreath smacking him right in the face. He picked up the wreath and flung it carelessly but with force amongst the shocked employees. As he strode by, they heard him mutter something.

"Stupid holidays."

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**A/N: Okay, so in the next chapter, you're going to find out why Robin/Richard/Dick/Nightwing/ or whatever you wanna call him hates the holidays. Anyways, please review so that I know what you guys think of this story!REVIEEEEW!**


	2. Reminice

**A/N: Hey everybody! I didn't get too many reviews the last time, so please review! It really helps me make the next chapters and if you have any suggestions for this story or whatever, then please tell me in your reviews! I would very much appreciate that!**

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Richard unlocked the door to his amazingly huge penthouse, letting his suitcases and bags slid off his shoulder and to the floor. He slipped into the bathroom and took a shower, then afterwards threw himself on the king sized bed. His thoughts about his long-lost friends (at least to him) never seemed to end; his eyes were drooping by each second that passed.

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A soft but irritating bell rang constantly in his ear. Each ring gave him a grating sting, and finally when he could no longer take it any more-

"Would whoever's doing that shut the hell UP!"

His eyes suddenly flickered open when he realized…how _did_ someone get into his house? He bolted upright to come face to face with…an angel?

No, he wasn't trying to describe somebody, she really WAS an angel. The petite figure that lay before him had two trademark wings of white and was clothed in a thick white robe with a harp in hand. She seemed young and was looking at him with a small frown of edginess. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were making him feel like she was someone he knew before, though he couldn't quite grasp the memory.

"Who ARE you?" Richard questioned awestruck.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," the angel replied rather impatiently, her gaze still set on him.

Richard snorted. "Pfft, yeah right. How original," he said sarcastically, "Now get out of my house." He pulled his bed comforter over his head and tried to close his eyes, forcing them shut. Once again he heard the chimes of the annoying bell. Sitting up with a glare in his eyes, he saw the angel now standing right in front of him, startling him slightly.

"Gahhh! What do you want with me? GET OUT!"

"I told you once before, I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." She snapped her fingers and all the electricity in the city switched off. "Now do you believe me?"

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Two figures in the night sky flew swiftly, hand in hand, oblivious to the sleeping residents.

"Where are we going?" Richard shouted against the strong breeze.

"To your past. Now would you shut up already? You've been yelling at me for hours."

He gawked at the slim angel. "I thought angels were supposed to be nice," he said with his hand connected to hers in a tight grip.

"Yeah? Well I guess you thought wrong. I'm new to this, and I pretty much hate the holidays as much as you do, so I don't really have a choice of refusing to let you see your past. And the name's Tara."

"You remind me of someone…my friend Raven."

And for the first time that night, the angel smiled. "I know Raven. She was such a…unique person. I used to watch her all the time when you guys were at the tower. She was always trying hiding something, and most of the time it was her emotions and her feelings. Good thing BB came along and-"

She cut herself short when she realized what was going to slip out. Just as Richard was going to open his mouth to question her, a small island appeared and a "t" figure was vaguely visible from where they were. Finally they landed and Tara pulled the confused young man inside the building. There he saw the same five teens in the picture, including his younger self. He watched intently as they opened their presents with joy.

"Duuuuuuude! Super Mega Monkeys 4! Cyborg, you rock!" the grass colored teen squealed.

Cyborg too was marching around like a manically driven kid, and in his arms was a box of tools; even Raven was cradling a large tome in her hands. Last but not least, Richard looked to a redhead; knowing that she would be the most painful one to remember. He saw his younger self reach into his pockets and start fumbling anxiously. Suddenly, Richard realized what Christmas this was. He turned to Tara and begged for her to turn back.

"No," she demanded, "You have to face the mistakes you have done in the past, no matter how terrible they are. Now just watch."

"But-"

"Shhh," she said sharply. "Just. Watch." They both turned back to the scene.

"Here you go Starfire," Robin mumbled nervously, handing her a tiny silver box.

She opened it delicately and gasped softly. "Robin, you…I…thank you," she whispered with that angelic voice Richard missed so much.

"So…beautiful," Richard whispered as just a single movement of the girl bedazzled him.

Starfire lifted her hand and there hung a silver chain with a jade emerald hanging from it. Raven smirked slightly to herself, and Cyborg and Beastboy were trying their hardest to suppress the laughs that were ready to burst out.

"Thanks, I just…wanted it to be something you remembered me by."

Beastboy turned to Robin and remarked, "Oh yeah? Then why'd you give me a doll of Raven?" Raven blushed and when Beastboy finally realized why, his face turned crimson as well.

"But Friend Robin, why is it that you give me something to remember you by? Do you wish to depart from us?"

The question hit Robin like a ton of bricks as he looked down. "Well you see, I was kinda gonna-"

Cyborg and the two other titans looked up from their presents. "What do you mean 'well'," Raven stated not as a question but as an accusation.

"The team's been through a lot, and since we've beaten the Brotherhood of Evil, there haven't been a lot of criminals on the loose. The city-"

"-doesn't need us anymore?" Beastboy cut in, trying not to unleash his sudden anger. "Dude, so you wanna just…quit on us?"

"No, you don't understand," Robin pleaded, "Batman needs me back. He just contacted me a couple of hours ago and-"

"I quit."

Everybody stared at the owner of the voice and their jaws dropped to see who had said it.

"Starfire, you don't have to-"

"I said I quit," she repeated trying not to let her voice crack. Who ever said she was good at hiding it, though? Tears glistened in her eyes as she explained, "You are right Robin- the city doesn't need us anymore, and I don't need you OR the city anymore. If anybody wishes to see me, I will be in my room packing my belongings for my departure tomorrow."

"But Starfire, why are you doing this? We'll all still be friends…right you guys?"

But only a dead silence followed after that. Finally Starfire spoke up. "Look at us Robin, we are not friends anymore. You are always doing your work, and you neglect the team's friendship." After a few moments, she added, "And you neglect me."

The truth hit Robin hard, and especially his older self. Richard looked at Tara. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't mean for the team to fall apart. I was only doing my job…."

"But you made your job your life. Now your team IS apart. Who do you want to blame it on this time, Grayson? Batman? Now watch and see what happens next."

Richard did follow Tara's orders this time and watched.

Cyborg was standing there grimly while he and Robin argued. Beastboy was comforting a lost and confused Raven, while Starfire fled to her room in tears. The next thing he knew, the recreation room was empty, and the Christmas tree lay on the floor lifeless, its once beautiful lights now shattered in pieces across the floor.

"I was angry," Richard whispered with regret to Tara. "I didn't mean to ruin Chri-"

"But you did." She checked her watch and flew up in the air; they were no longer in the building, but someplace Richard couldn't recognize. "It's time for me to go. Tell Beastboy I said hi…and that I'm happy for…him and Raven."

Her eyes blazed with a bright yellow, and for a split second, Richard saw a flashing image of the teenaged Terra, with her gloves and goggles.

But then, sooner than Richard Grayson knew it, his world turned black.

**

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A/N: Review! Review review review! I want to get at least 15 or 20 reviews for this chapter, so please REVIEW! And give me any ideas or suggestions that you might have. Thanks for reading!**

**BTW, what did everyone think of "Go" (the new episode that aired today)? I loved it! People finally got to see Starfire and Robin kiss! But I don't know if I'm the only that wanted to see them kiss in the present- I really hope they do!**


	3. An Old Love

"Aww, _yeah_! Go punch his face, yo! Ya'll got it goin' _on_!"

Richard stirred. "Shutup," he mumbled as he dug his head back under his pillow. He heard another noise, but this time the room shook each time he heard it. As soon as he realized it wasn't Tara, he scrambled up in bed. His blurred vision began to subside and he tried to make out a tall brown figure as-

"-Cyborg!"

The muscular teen jumped up, switching the TV off and putting back a game controller in less than two seconds. "Oh, uh…" He suddenly clasped his hands stiffly like a robot together as if he knew that he missed his cue and continued. "I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present."

Richard's jaw remained on the floor. "Cyborg? You…_died_?" he whispered in a heartbreaking tone.

"Yeah," Cyborg whispered, " I died because…" A wry grin suddenly appeared on his face. "…YOU GAVE ME A BUMBLEBEE DOLL FOR CHRISTMAS, YO!" He began to roll on the floor cracking up, while Richard was not the least bit amused.

"Seriously, if you're not Cyborg…then who the heck ARE you?"

Cyborg ceased his fit of laughter and rose from his crouched position. "I AM Cyborg. Except I'm the part of him that died in the car accident before he became an actual cyborg."

"Wait, so that means you're- you- he-"

"Yup, tis' the human Cyborg! I'm VICTOR!" he spat out gleefully. He held his hand out and Richard just stared at it hesitantly.

"Well?" Victor exclaimed questionably, "You gonna take my hand or what?" Richard clamped his hand on his grumpily and mumbled something.

As soon as his hand made contact with Victor's, his vision swirled and he felt himself get sucked into the shadows of his room. A moment later, he felt something fall on his face. As he gazed up towards the sky, he recognized it as snow. Victor gestured for him to follow him, directing him to a window outside a large apartment building.

"Where are we this time?"

Victor placed a small smile on his face, but it wasn't as cheerful as before. He took Richard's hand once more and pulled him through the building. "You'll see."

Richard roamed around the crowded room, his ghostly body going through every person he passed by. There were so many people in cocktail dresses and tuxedos holding up there champagne glasses with their luxurious fur coats- who was he supposed to be looking for anyway?

"Victor, I really think-"

He cut himself off as one particular person caught his eye; he didn't notice Victor smirking in the corner. He gazed at the marvelous beauty in front of him. A slender young woman looking as vibrant as ever in an elegant but flaunting black gown with only two tiny delicate straps to hold it on her shoulders. Could it really be her?

Yes, it was, he decided irrationally. Those haunting emerald green eyes could make any man fall down to his knees, yet ever be forgotten. Her auburn hair was still as vibrant as ever, and that smile. It was only then when Richard realize how fast his heart was beating.

"Starfire," he murmured. He reached his arm to stroke her ginger locks but stopped himself before he made a fool out of himself.

"It's okay," came Victor's voice from the other side of the room. "She can't see you."

But his words went in one ear and out the other. Richard continued to fixate on the goddess that lay before him, how could anyone take their eyes off her? A man walked towards the young woman.

"Kori!"

"Drew!" She pulled him in for a quick and friendly hug. As soon as they both pulled away from each other, they continued to smile.

"So," Drew said, "Where's Roy? I thought he was supposed to be here tonight; it's Christmas Eve."

Richard continued to occasionally stare at Kori. Was it just him or did her eyes cloud over at the mention of Speedy's name? Apparently the middle-aged man didn't notice.

"So," he pressed on, "What's he doing at a time like this? He should be here with you, at your own party! And he also…"

This time tears began to well up in her eyes, making Richard furious. Couldn't that man see that he was pushing it too far?

"…Say Kori, when do you think he'll pop up the question, huh? I bet-"

Poor Kori couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry, Drew. I just…I need to go somewhere…"

She pushed her way through the crowd, with Richard running after her. Making sure that she wasn't seen, she opened a door and stepped inside a large room with gold strung all around it. Richard watched as she made her way to her bed, throwing herself on it carelessly. As her tears began to fall, Richard wanted nothing more to just wipe them off her face. God, how he loved her.

'Wait, did I just say-'

Again he was cut short by the pain of seeing her cry. Her tear-streaked face was slightly smeared by the tiniest bit because of her makeup, but that didn't change a thing of how beautiful she still looked. He continued to observe her as he rested himself on her bed.

She pulled her head up from her pillow and reached for something on her nightstand. It was a photograph of…him and her? Richard thought he was hallucinating, but a moment later he proved himself wrong. She stroked the picture ever so gently.

She sobbed. "If only you could be here right now…with me."

Richard was surprised at her words. Did that really mean that she lo-

"You," she sniffled lightly, "would always be here for me. You would never do anything to hurt me. You would always be faithful and…love me…for who I am…"

Her voice trailed off as Richard realized that she didn't know how right she was. He still loved her and he always would love her. She hadn't given up on him yet.

"…But I know that you could never love me back. Have you ever loved me? Have you ever-"

A pale purple-haired girl in a suede white gown burst into the room, her face filled with liveliness. "Kori, come'on, let's-"

But that liveliness disappeared when she saw her weeping best friend studying a picture in tears. "Oh Star, not this again. In fact we've been over this already- you can't let your memories of him break you, Kor."

"But Rae-"

"No. You get cleaned up and have fun out there. It's your party- you should be enjoying it. Don't let some guy ruin Christmas Eve for you." She took hold of Kori's hand and dragged her out the room, leaving Richard alone with his thoughts.

"Victor, does this mean that she loves me?" He only got silence. He looked around, but he was no longer in the room. In fact, he didn't know WHERE he was. He stood there, alone in the dark.

"Victor?"

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A/N: Cliffie right there! Please review! I would very much appreciate that since I worked really really REALLY hard on this chapter. My imagination hurts right now, lol. Till the next chappie! **


	4. Deciept

**A/N: Hey everybody! I'm really sorry for the long update! Its been like a freakin month since I've updated! But I do hope you guys keep reading this fic even though Christmas has been over for like a couple of weeks and stuff! Only two more chapters or so to go until this fic is finished!**

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"Victor? Victor? VICTOR!"

Richard dropped his cupped hands and sighed in defeat. Where the heck WAS he? He looked at his surroundings and everything was literally painted in black. It was almost like he was in his own living Hell. This was exactly as he had pictured it whenever he was in times of desperation- a dark and dismal world filled with nothing but sorrow and grief in the air that made you want to go down to your knees and beg for mercy to get out.

Trying to chase his fears away from the sudden chill that went down his spine, he stood in his leader posture, arching his back a little too much to look like he wasn't scared. Okay, maybe he a little scared. After all, it seemed like Hell was exactly as he imagined it.

Suddenly as slash of pain seared through his body and his mind. He doubled over in soreness, groaning as he clutched his stomach as tight he could. He stood upright once more, only to experience another quick prick of crucifying pain stabbing him, and this time, lowering him to his knees and crouched down. His head suddenly began to run in all directions imaginable, spinning around until it made an abrupt stop and he soon found himself in…the city?

As confused as he was, he stood up and walked around the curb as cars sped past him. A tall, familiar building entranced him through the corner of his eye, but as swerved around, he was startled by a chilling figure in a long drab cloak that went all the way down, but not touching the ground.

It hovered slightly above the paved cement and Richard could easily see the ghostly aura surrounding the…creature. Richard squinted his eyes in hopes of uncovering what looked like the grim reaper's identity. But all he saw was black, and nothing more than the dismal dreary darkness inside. Richard's fear was behind him now, but he couldn't help but get some sort of a bad vibe from this…thing. He felt like he somehow had a connection with the spirit, and the connection was _not_ a good one.

"Um…ghost?" Richard began, uncertain of what to call the horrible creature before him. "Where am I?"

But the only response he received was a deep growl coming from inside of the hood. A skeletal finger was lifted out of the baggy sleeve, pointing to…Kori's apartment building…

Richard said without thinking, "Uh, I think you took me to the wrong place. Victor already took me to see Starfire, so-"

But he was cut off when he was struck by binding pain. The pain felt so different than the kind of pain he endured in his regular battles. It almost felt like the spirit was actually running through him.

Richard ran to the towering building. Why was he here? What did the spirit want him to see? He had already seen Kori, and he couldn't handle seeing her again- crying, weeping, feeling sorry for herself because her own boyfriend was barely there for her, emotionally and physically.

But when he reached Monticello Apartments, he only found himself trying to get a good look at what the bustling crowd was looking at. This was more people than the last time he had been here. A lot more people. Reporters and their cable cars crowded the sidewalk, holding out their microphones in hopes of catching the whole story.

The loud, blazing siren of an ambulance rang out through the walls of the city, echoing fiercely. Cars and trucks made room for the ambulance, with people scattering and trying not to get run over. Police cars were lined up alongside the curb instantly and armed forces slammed their doors shut as they walked out with their weapons armed.

A man was being hauled out of the hotel, his feet being dragged along the red carpet. He suddenly sprung up and Richard couldn't quite recognize him. His misty eyes were clouded with a drunken sense and he began to rant nonsense ramblings to the crowd. Red hair was mangled, and the police officers were having enough trouble holding him down as it was. They beckoned for more law enforcements for help.

Richard pondered. Who WAS he? Perplexed, he tried to find a reporter for more information and came across an African-American journalist talking dramatically in front of a cameraman.

"…Coming home drunken as always and on the usual, according to next door neighboring witnesses, shouts and rants were apparently heard coming from the room. Officers say that the criminal has confessed to wife beating and spousal abuse to the famous supermodel and journalist."

Wife beating? Who the hell would do that to someone they loved? Richard at that moment didn't care who the man was, but he made it a mental note to himself to beat that sucker up later once he got his name.

He looked at the reporter as he listened to her talk, and he caught a tear running down her cheek. The death must have been of somebody important for someone random to cry like that. He caught her name on the pieces of paper she was holding- Annette Johnson.

"Um," the reporter stammered, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "We…we have close friends and family that came here as soon as they heard the news, and are now mourning at the announced death of their close friend."

Annette motioned for the cameraman to focus on a pale-skinned woman, about his age. Her face wore a lone expression, eyes teary and puffy from all the crying. She had on black clothing from top to bottom- she looked like she was already ready for the funeral. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"S-She was a c-close friend of mine. I loved her with all my heart…" she paused and lowered her eyes. "She was my best friend," she whimpered in a whisper that was barely audible as even more tears began to form in her eyes. A pair of strong arms were laid on her shoulders, revealing none other than a tall green man with matching eyes and hair to go with his unique appearance.

"It's okay, Rae. She'll be fine. She's in a better place now you know."

"But Gar…" she said as her voice trailed off. "I want her HERE with us."

She continued to weep on his shoulder as Gar rocked her slowly in a tender motion. Annette moved to a different weeping couple of African-Americans, the cameraman following her every direction.

"Hello there," Annette said in a broadcasting voice. But her eyes quickly turned cloudy with tears as soon she caught sight of the woman's tear streaked face. "I understand that you too are close friends of the beloved New Yorker."

Richard gaped as the huddled couple turned around, revealing their faces. Was that…Bumblebee and…Victor!

The woman sniffled a tear. "Yes, I'm…um…Bethany and this is my husband…Victor. We used to live with her for years until she moved here to New York with that-"

"-Wife beatin' son of a bitc-"

Bethany quickly clasped a hand down on her enraged husband's mouth before he said something on television he would later regret.

"Shh…" she whispered soothingly. "Kori wouldn't have wanted you to do that…"

Kori? What did Kori have to do with the murder? As a matter of fact, where WAS Kori? He looked around, making himself dizzy from turning his head frantically in desperate hopes of finding her familiar auburn-flowing hair. But he couldn't. He couldn't find her, and that was what scared him the most.

"Kori? Kori! Kori, please…come out…I want to find you…KORI!"

But his voice was drowned in the crying crowd's tears and grief, all oblivious to the worried man's anxious calls. Whispers of the name Kori were murmured in the bundles of crowds formed in front of the large apartment building.

Richard ran past the people, passing through their bodies like a ghost. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be. Kori…Kori _couldn't_ be dead, she just couldn't…

But his fear of that understatement continued to grow. Everywhere he turned and looked her name was whispered and talked amongst by everyone. He ran back to Annette Johnson.

"…All because of a drunken Roy Harper. And so, New York is left mourning over one it's most beloved citizens…God bless you, Kori Anders. You're in heaven now…"

Richard screamed in agony, pulling his hair. He wouldn't believe some reporter who didn't know anything about Kori Anders. About Starfire. He wanted to see it for himself.

VERY WELL 

He paused for a second. Who was that? He turned and looked for the spirit, and for a split second, saw a flash of black whiz past him. But the ghost was nowhere in sight, and Richard was frightened slightly for a moment. It wasn't because of that mysterious flash of color he just saw, but how whatever talked to him had communicated with him. It was almost like the voice wasn't even spoken, it felt like it was a mere thought, a part of him that spoke. A part of him he didn't know existed within his mind…

But before he could think of anything else, he felt his head swirl, just like when he had first arrived at the apartment. This time was different. It hurt more, he felt his vision get blurred, and his whole world spun around once more.

Richard found himself in the same place he was before. What the heck was going on? But sooner as the seconds ticked by, he what. He took back what he said; he didn't want to see Starfire, he didn't want to see her lying and drenched in her own blood, he didn't want to-

But it was too late. He had said he wanted to see her, and his wish was granted. And instantly too.

There she lay. No, she wasn't soaked in blood or bullets in her skin. She just looked so…peaceful, like the angel she was, the angel she was going to be. Her red hair was still as vibrant as ever, and her long eyelashes rested serenely, shining as the beam of lights struck her beautiful golden face. And still, there she lay; still as beautiful as he remembered her from the teenage years he spent with her. The teenage years wasted on silence and disappointment. Hurt and broken promises. Really, who was he to say that they were all going to be friends forever? At least they were, but not him. He had been shutting himself in every little office he worked in.

But as he watched the paramedics carry her stretcher back to the ambulance, anger began to boil inside him. Who would do this to her? And why! He clenched his fists so tight that you could hear them crack one at a time. Who the HELL would DO THIS TO HER? Kill the beautiful and innocent Starfire!

Roy Harper, that's who. His own best friend. He couldn't even believe he trusted her with him. That's why she was so lonely. That's why she never wanted him to come home. But why would he do this to her? Why would KORI let HIM do that to her! It wasn't like she was powerless; she was one of the most powerful out of all the Titans. WHO CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN TO HER!

_YOU DID_.

"What-"

But when he turned around, the startling figure of the ghost appeared before him just like the last time.

"Who are you? Why did this have to happen to her? WHO DID THIS?" Richard roared.

But what was underneath the cloak scared him. Him, leader of the Teen Titans, Nightwing of Gotham City, HIM. He was never scared…until now. Because underneath that ghostly aura, underneath that cloak was…Richard.

No, it couldn't be, he couldn't have caused Kori's death.

But what he saw was the truth. It was Richard, alright. Except he looked different.

The uncloaked Richard took a step forward so that he could get a better view of the unmasked figure.

It had a slouched posture, one of a werewolf's. With its clothes torn and violently ripped, the ghost of the future seemed to tower over the real Richard. His eyes were blood-red orbs, with nothing seen but…ruby anger boiling and ready to burst out. A look of greediness and starvation was plastered across its face, looking as if it was about to feast on just about anything that caught its eye. A deep scar was marked across his right eyes, and a bottomless wound it was too.

_YOU KILLED KORI ANDERS._

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**oMg! Eeeek! Just writing this chapter was creeping the freakin crap out of me! Here's a quick summary:**

**That drunk man that was being arrested out of the hotel was Roy Harper, a.k.a. Speedy. HE was the one who killed Kori. But the reason the ghost said that it was Richard's fault was because Richard wasn't there to save Kori from Roy Harper. As a matter of fact, what the spirit is trying to say is that Richard was never there for her, and if he HAD been there with her instead of ditching the Titans, she would've never married a drunk named Roy Harper in the first place. So all in all, the whole problem sums up to Richard being the cause of the problem, even though he didn't physically kill Kori, he caused her to marry Roy and get Kori killed by his drunk numbness.**

**I hope everyone reviews, because I worked really hard on this chapter! REVIEW!**

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**Heated Love (lOl that's my story. But please read it if you haven't yet!)**

**By sTaRfIrExrObIn**

**A Real Love**

**By AvePlateada**

**The Pain That Love Causes**

**By RedxStarRob (oMg, did I spell your name wrong? Because I'm really very sorry if I did…)**


	5. Seeing Red

**A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry for the long update, and even though I only got practically five reviews (which I should say is a lot better than nothing), I just wanted everyone to know that those were some of the kindest and most thoughtful reviews I have ever read! **

**Oh! Another warning:**

**THIS CHAPTER FEATURES SOME "HELL" THEMES, SUCH AS THE UNDERWORLD, THE DEVIL, AND ETC. IF YOU ARE "SENSITIVE" ABOUT THESE ISSUES, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. I DON'T WANT TO GET REVIEWS COMPLAINING OF ISSUES I HAD ALREADY WARNED YOU ABOUT!**

**Also, this chapter contains a lot of flashbacks and transitions of current events of what happened after Kori died.**

**Thank you so much to my dedicated readers; this chapter is for you!**

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YOU KILLED KORI ANDERS

"What? I did nothing to her!" Richard yelled in his leader-like tone. "I haven't even had contact with her for years! So why the hell-"

THIS **IS** HELL. AND YOU HELPED CREATE IT. DID YOU THINK YOU COULD ESCAPE THE REALITY YOU'VE MADE FOR THE ONES YOU'VE LOVED?

Richard watched, fearful for his fate, as the disgusting-looking replica of himself staggered forward towards him, the replica's eyes glowing red and subsiding into a coal colored shade. With its eyes widening far beyond the normal human capacity, the thing looked practically possessed; it was almost like the devil himself was-

Suddenly it hit Richard like a ton of bricks. He DID kill Kori. Everything was the effect of what he had done in the first place. If he hadn't have broken up the Titans, Kori wouldn't have been forced to find a home. And if Kori hadn't been forced to find at least a roof over her head, she wouldn't have gone to Roy in desperation. And if she hadn't have moved in with Roy, marriage wouldn't have had to be an option. Each event triggered another, and within each event triggered came a new problem and a new cause for another set of problems. If she had known that she would be marrying a wasted businessman, she wouldn't be…dead. And not because of Roy, because of him. Just because Roy killed her on Christmas day in the morning that didn't mean Roy was the only one to blame.

Richard killed her…he had killed-

A flash of light led him to a cemetery, and there was nothing but a sad aura of gray from people's trench coats surrounding the glass casket. And there she lay; same as the time he had seen her in her room when she was crying. Except she was sleeping…and she would be sleeping forever because of what he had done to her.

But before he had even gotten the chance to utter a sigh from his chest and release the pain he was holding inside, red, velvety blood began to seep from the coffin, making its way to Richard's feet.

"Kori! No!"

A long flight of stairs was displayed before him, and he began to run as fast he had ever run in his life towards the casket. But as he climbed each stair, the space between him and the casket began to unravel into a longer staircase, and every time he thought he could grasp it, it seemed like the coffin would pull away swiftly.

Just as he was about to give up, he saw something in the distance, a blurry image of Kori appeared in front of him. He looked down and noticed that he was no longer climbing the stairs, but floating in the air. Make that flying in the air. With Kori.

She soared gracefully in the air, swooping down and running her fingers in the ocean's cool waters as she hovered slightly above it.

Her silky laughter filled the air. "Robin! Join me in the perilous game of…Tag, was it?"

Richard was too shocked to utter even a single word. This was nonsense! She was dead, he was sure of it, as much as he hated for that to be her fate. She was dead!

"B-but- you- I-"

"Nonsense Robin! Please, join me!"

She flew off into the distance towards the familiar "T" shaped tower, and without even realizing it till later, Robin was flying after her.

Richard's hair was swept back as he swooped up and down dangerously, enjoying the carefree feeling he was experiencing. But his relief was soon short-lived when she stopped abruptly, starring at him with those piercing jade eyes.

This wasn't the same stare that would make his heart melt; it wasn't the stare she had when he had seen her at the Christmas party, but it was a pleading gaze she had bestowed upon him, and as he watched her eyes cloud with gray tears, wounds suddenly began to open in her skin. She grew weaker and weaker with every scar that formed on her body, and soon she was on her knees, begging for mercy at him.

"Robin, Robin help me! Robin!"

His muscles froze at the sight of her dying before him, and with each pleading cry from her she seemed to get even more crippled until she fell to the ground, almost lifeless with her chest rising and falling in an unusually slow fashion. Tears could be heard as they splattered against the cement. She tried to breathe out her last words as her swollen eyes began to close slowly, and tears came to Richard's eyes as he could do nothing but watch her, paralyzed of movement, and helplessly trying to break away from his statue-like position.

"I love you, R…Robin."

And then they fell. He ran over to her, shaking her desperately. The tears that he had thought were inferior to life were now hitting him hard, and the impact of it was surprising to him to know that such little things had a great effect on him.

"Kori! Kori, get up!"

He stood up but instantaneously dropped to his knees. "Why the hell is this happening? I don't want to live like this!"

The black-cloaked figure appeared before him within a blink of his eye, even more frightening than ever.

"Is that all you EVER THINK ABOUT? YOUSELF?" it roared angrily, this time with words. "You selfish monster! She has died, because of YOU!"

Its deep and eerie demonic voice taunted him, but instead of cowering in a corner, he slammed his fists into the ground as his tears continued to fall.

"Shut up! I loved her! Of course I wanted her to live! I would've given up my LIFE for her!" he raged.

A supernatural silence filled the poisonous air, as the monster-like Richard looked him in the eyes, its eyes opened as wide as a human's can get.

"Then why didn't you?"

A mix of emotions suddenly attacked Richard, and before he knew it a crevice had formed until he fell through the ditch, falling until he found a small cliff to clutch onto with his life. He felt hands tugging at him, the poor, unfortunate souls trying to pull him into the Underworld that they had too been trapped in, wanting for him to suffer the anguished afterlife that they had been living in for years.

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	6. Slipping Away

"NO! Kori!"

Richard's eyes flapped open as he soon found himself tangled in his silky bed sheets.

"What the-"

He was even more confused than ever. Wasn't he about to be dragged into Hell just a few moments ago? Didn't he see Kori die before his eyes? He was certain of it, and he trusted his gut once he had decided that. But proof could only be in so many places at once, and when it wasn't there when you needed it the most, chances were that you would turn into despair.

But Richard felt something quite different. It was a swelling in his heart that ceased to stop making his heartbeat. It was as if he knew something was going to happen tonight. Something terrible-

He tried to remember all that he had endured with the spirits. The past? No, it couldn't be; the past was already fixed so that the events during it would lead to newer and fresher ones. The present was now the past, and the future-

The _future. _She was supposed to die, but when? The last time he had seen Kori was when she was in her white gown…on the night of the Christmas bash she had held at her place…also the gown she had been wearing when she was being carried to the ambulance on the stretcher…

…when she was dead.

Richard sprang up from his bed, too deep in thought to realize that three familiar sets of eyes were on the spy.

If the future were tomorrow, then that would mean Kori would be dead within any hour of the present…which was now. Suddenly, all the horrible events he had experienced were starting to make sense. Roy would come home wasted, not knowing what he was doing and beat Kori…to her death.

Richard slipped on a pair of trousers quickly, grabbed his coat and quickly made his way to the door.

'Oh God, she's getting hurt by the second. I swear, I'll kill that bastard if he makes her go through this."

He ran as fast as he could through the empty streets, his feet getting dug up into the snow as he began sprint as fast as he could.

As she watched him, the golden-haired angel sat on top of a mysteriously floating rock, along with a tall and muscular teen and a floating cloaked figure by her side.

"Oh God, Victor, what if he doesn't make it?"

He looked at her solemnly as he tried his best to remain in his optimistic perseverance, but found it impossible as he remained yet in his anxious state.

"We can only hope for the best."

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Tears ran down Kori's cheeks as she watched her wasted boyfriend stumble drunk towards the couch, missing it by a whole two feet. Hastily, she ran to his aid and put an arm on his shoulder comfortingly, only for it to be flung back hard. She winced in pain as he plopped himself on the couch.

"Get me a beer," Roy slurred, trying his best to point to the refrigerator instead of the small microwave.

But the only reaction he got from Kori was a barely visible tear as she crossed her arms angrily. Was this her fault? Was she the reason she had to deal with this…drunken monster every night?

"No."

Laughing hysterically, he didn't even bother to look back in her direction. "Wha- what d-did you_…s-s-s-say_?"

"I said NO. You come home with enough beer in that stomach of yours, and lucky for me you didn't come home early enough to humiliate me in front of my friends!"

But her fierce courage died down quickly as he stood up suddenly, walking towards her with the most horrible sneer plastered on his face, and soon she found herself backed into a corner, unable to escape his tight grasp on her arm with her delicate skin being squeezed.

"You'll…do what..._I say_!" he bellowed in an inebriated voice.

Shaking violently in desperate need of escape, her arm was nowhere close to escaping his grasp until she slapped his face with the palm of her hand, then storming to their room. But before she could even make two steps back she felt him grab her arm once more, swerving her to face him. And then he struck her.

Oh God, how this hurt. This was the millionth time he had hit her…except the last time was harder. She had let it pass the first couple times, trying and successfully convincing herself that his anger just got to him because of the alcohol.

Kori toppled on to the floor, struggling to prop herself up, only to receive a hard kick in the gut. She could feel her face burn in pain in the very spot that he had hit her. She stared up at him, him and that scornfulness that had grown in him through the years.

Wiping the ruby blood off her lip, she tried to gather up all her strength and glared.

"Bastard."

Yelling in anger, he swung his leg at her ribs again. And again.

Her eyes widened every time his foot made contact with her body. She clutched her stomach as she doubled over in pain, her hidden bruises revealing themselves as he tore her dress violently. What was happening? Usually he stopped hitting her after a couple of minutes… And that's when she realized. What was the use of living when you've gotten used to your own boyfriend beating you up night after night?

She tried to open her blue, bruised eye and stared at him, her ragged breaths and pants catching up to her. "I…hate you. Richard was a lot-"

But again, she cried out in pain as she felt something hard hit her back. Was that the beer bottle? The shards of it that represented her already broken heart? It was too bad that she was too numb to feel anything but her soul being ripped apart. She could feel herself slip from consciousness slowly, and at that very moment was when she noticed her slow heartbeat. _Thump…thump…thump…_

And just before she thought she felt something tugging at her spirit, the sound of the door falling to the tiled floor echoed in her ears, and there stood a familiar face. Her favorite person.

A barely visible smile hidden under her black and blue bruises made its way on her face as she managed to utter one word out.

"Robin…"

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A/N: Very nice, I think I liked writing this chapter out of all the rest in this story. This is my favorite chapter; it made me feel really sad when I wrote that last part about how literally tried desperately to hang on to her life. I think that this was my best overall chapter, but don't stop here! I'm thinking maybe one or two more chapters of this, so keep reading and reviewing; the best is yet to come!**

**Review please! I would appreciate it greatly to know that I have some readers and supporters out there who don't think that my story is_ all_ that bad!**


	7. Together at Last

**A/N: Hey everybody! I'm so happy to be finally finishing up this story! Please keep the reviews coming in!**

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His head was buried deep in his hands as he realized that he had dried out his tears. He had let it go too far. He was too late. Her sleeping eyes never budged open, never fluttered with consciousness

_His_ eyes, for the past two days, had been struggling to keep awareness; he would not rest until he knew she was okay. But the clock ticked by so slowly, as if to torture him for all eternity; he just wanted it all to end. Though he had been drowsily keeping himself awake for what seemed like forever, he shook it all off and stood up instantly as soon as he saw the doctor walking towards his direction.

"What happened to her? Is she okay? Can I see-"

The doctor smiled sadly as he tried to break it down gently. "Mr. Grayson, Kori is in poor condition as of this moment. She is lucky to be alive, but the beatings she endured from her boyfriend have caught up to her, and her heart has been beating slower than normal rate. The other doctors and I have good news though- someone up there has blessed her with more than one life; normally someone in such condition would not be alive for so long, but-"

With his feet striding against the tiled floors as fast as they could, Richard ran towards Kori's room. But when he got there, he found himself trying to hold back his tears at the sight of her small fragile body hooked up to many machines, wires and cords attached to her broken ribs and her bruised and bandaged stomach. He sat in a chair by her head, cradling her tanned hand in his.

"Kori," was the only word he managed to utter out as he took noticed of her emerald eyes slowly begin to flutter open. Once she caught sight of his worried face, she smiled faintly, recollecting the memories of their past as Teen Titans that she thought had disappeared forever long ago.

"You- you're…you're here," she whispered with tears swimming in her eyes. "Why?"

A sudden pang of regret washed over him. "Why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you tell me what he was doing to you? The doctor says you've been suffering too many beatings."

She squeezed his hand gently, bringing her face closer to his. "I do not wish to speak of the past, Robin, but only of what the moment holds for us. Roy did horrible things, but I still find myself able to forgive him."

The chair Richard was sitting on flew back, hitting the wall violently as he stood abruptly. "Forgive him? He almost killed you! How could you forgive such a son of a-"

Tears were pouring down her face already. "Stop it, please. Feeling this sick is already bad enough, but to see you so angry with someone who isn't even worth it…I just don't like seeing you like this…"

Richard sighed in defeat as he surrendered effortlessly to her strong will, sitting down once more, wiping the tears away from her pale face. A calming stillness filled the room, and it was sooner than he realized that Kori had drifted off to sleep, the soft breaths she took repeating in a pattern.

He smiled softly, gazing at her. He had almost lost her, but just watching her in her sleep was exhilarating; he caught his breath every time she murmured something tiredly in her sleep.

Realizing how sleepy _he_ had become, he leaned forward and laid his lips on hers gently without even a thought of hesitation, then rested his head in his folded arms. And when she was sure that he was truly asleep, Kori tucked her hands in his and faintly smiled; she closed her eyes once more and fell into a deep slumber.

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**A/N: Not over yet; maybe an epilogue after this instead of another chapter would be good, so keep reading. Send me your thoughts on this chapter!**


	8. Epilogue

Kori looked back one last time at the large art museum she had just walked out of. Inside were some of the most prestigious paintings by many of the greatest artists of the world, and she had gotten the honor of viewing each and every one of them. Paris looked like an exotic place for sightseeing in the brochures she had looked at, but she had never imagined it to be so breathtaking. It was too bad Richard wasn't there beside her to enjoy it as well.

It had been a bit over a year since their little reunion, and now there she was, alone in the city of romance. Richard had chosen the worst time to go on one of his important business trips.

She walked down the narrow sidewalks and past a restaurant, where a young couple were sitting with a baby cradled in the mother's arms. Sighing, Kori wondered if she and Richard would ever lead the same life. Getting married and having a baby was how she thought of settling down, but hinting the idea towards Richard had been even harder than she had thought. Of course, he had always been there with her since that night at the hospital, but the two had only just moved in together, and Kori felt that things weren't going as fast as she wanted them to. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh X'hal…it's so…beautiful…"

The large cathedral was indeed beautiful. With statues of angels sculpted around the bell towers of the church, she jumped up in excitement without thinking. She had never gotten to explore the religion since she arrived on Earth, and now was her chance to take advantage of that.

The steps leading to the church must have taken at least ten minutes for her to climb, because when she finished she was panting. Bursting through the doors when she finally caught her breath, she felt her heart freeze.

It wasn't the church this time, but whom she saw in it.

"G-Galfore? Raven, Gar, Cy? Bee! What are you guys doing…_Blackfire_?" she asked incredulously.

There they were, sitting pleasantly in the church benches, in the seats closest to the entrance of the church. But what astounded her was who was there sitting along with her friends. Bruce Wayne himself, Xavier, the whole_ Justice League team_, and every other superhero in the world, all of them dressed out of their uniforms.

"Um, what is everyone doing here?" she asked shyly as she felt all their eyes and smiles on her. She searched through all there many faces, but the one she wanted to see the most was the one she couldn't find. "W-Where…where is Richard?"

"Right here."

Her emerald orbs instantly followed the direction of the voice as they lit up with hope. There he was, standing in his usual attire, jeans and a navy blue polo. He looked…nervous.

"Richard? What are you- Aren't you? Shouldn't you-" He chuckled anxiously as well as she stumbled over her words, walking towards her as she absentmindedly tried to find what else to say other than broken up sentences. But she cut herself off when she found him down on his knees, taking her hands in his, staring up at her as he scratched the back of his neck timidly. Her eyes widened.

"Richard…Robin, what's going on?" She knew exactly what was happening at that moment.

"Well…I was kinda h-hoping you would marry me," he mumbled, looking away from her. Afraid of her answer, he cringed, hoping the answer would be anything but no. He turned around and met her gleaming eyes as they sparkled with tears.

"Yes."

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**A/N: WOOOOO! I finally finished a story! Again, sorry for the short chapter. I hoped you liked reading this, and it's been a joy for me writing this story. Thanks to all the people who reviewed! You guys rock!**

**Review please!**


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